Update your FREE listing on the new CTvisit.com & in the 2016 Mystic Country Visitors Guide

IMPORTANT: IMMEDIATE ACTION NECESSARY

Update your FREE listing on the new CTvisit.com website & in the 2016 Mystic Country Visitors Guide!

Currently the Eastern Regional Tourism District is updating our database to populate the Mystic Country portion of the all-new CTvisit.com website that will launch in April 2016.

The new collaborative CTvisit.com website will integrate the regional district website (mystic.org)with the state website and will include an increased prominence for restaurants and hotels, increased opportunities for overnight stays, customized experiences for each of our state’s regions and dramatically enhanced listing pages for each of our tourism partners.

The Connecticut Office of Tourism is working closely with the Regional Tourism Districts to gather data, content and visuals to populate the website and market the diversity of experiences our state and destinations offer.

To update your listing or to create a new listing download and return this excel spreadsheet by December 28, 2015 at 4:30pm (EST).

Where to send/return the forms:

For printed forms mail or drop-off at 27 Greenmanville Ave, Mystic, CT 06355. Fax to 860-536-8855. Or scan and email to rita@mysticcountry.com

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS FREE LISTING REQUEST: Feel free to contact Rita Rivera at rita@mysticcountry.com or 860-536-8822.

Does my business qualify for a free listing on CTvisit.com or the Mystic Country Visitor Guide?

Please review the content guidelines below to see if your property/business is eligible for a free listing on the new CTvisit.com or the 2016 Mystic Country Visitor Guide.

CT Tourism Collaborative Content Guidelines

Property Listings

LISTINGS are defined as the following:

Listings are complimentary.

All attractions and accommodations are included at the discretion of the Connecticut Office of Tourism, which reserves the right to edit, verify and remove any information.

Accommodations will be listed under their official name, as registered with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.

Properties will be listed in the zip code area (town or city) in which their property is physically located.

Primary contact must be part of the “first party.” If a venue does not have a first party contact, they will not be listed.
(Example on secondary contact: Brownstone House in Guilford uses info@visitnewhaven.com).

Must provide at least one form of public contact (phone, email, or website).

Conforms to all state and local codes, and regulations.

Located in the State of Connecticut.

Attractions: Museums, Galleries, Historic Sites, and Theaters

Criteria for Listing:

Primary purpose of the attraction is to educate and/or entertain.

Is a venue for regularly scheduled exhibitions and performances, rather than, a specific artist or performing groups.

Enhances and supports the image of Connecticut as defined in the Connecticut Office of Tourism Marketing Strategy.

Visiting hours easily accessible to the public.

Available to many audience sizes – both groups and individuals.

Museums and historic sites must be open to the public at least 1 day per week throughout the major tourism season (Spring to Fall).

Must enter hours and dates of operation.

Theaters must offer an on-going schedule of performances.

Accommodations: Hotels, Motels, Inns, and B&B’s

Criteria for Listing:

Conforms to all state and local codes, and regulations.

Offers accommodations for overnight lodging.

Must be registered with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and collect and pay state lodging tax, or other taxes as required by law.

AirBNB properties should not be listed unless they are registered with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and collect and pay state lodging tax, or other taxes as required by law.

Licensed realtors may be included if they rent vacation rental and collect and pay all applicable lodging-related taxes.

Accommodations: Campgrounds and Marinas

Criteria for Listing:

Conforms to all state and local codes, and regulations, including Public Health Code 19a-2a-29.

Marinas must offer overnight slips/moorings to the public.

Party/Charter Fishing Vessels

Criteria for Listing:

Conforms to all federal and state codes, and regulations, including proper registration with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.

Home port located in the State of Connecticut.

Restaurants

Criteria for Listing:

Conforms to all state and local codes and regulations including all Public Health Code (food service).

Must have a Qualified Food Operator on staff.

License by the local health district/town, as required.

Must list hours of operation.

Must have a permanent physical location that is accessible to the public

Shopping

Criteria for Listing:

Includes malls, shopping districts, outlets, unique shops and stores.

Must have a permanent physical location.

Visiting hours easily accessible to the public.

Conforms to all state and local codes and regulations.

Located in the State of Connecticut.

Connecticut Antiques Trail

Criteria for Listing:

Must be primarily engaged in the business of buying and selling items collected or desirable due to age, rarity, condition or some other unique feature.

Antique dealers and multi-venue centers must be accessible to the public with regular hours of operation.

Available to many audience sizes – both groups and individuals.

Antiques dealers must offer high quality merchandise and expertise.

Multi-venue centers must have antique and collectible dealers on-site.

Auction houses must have an annual sale in excess of one million dollars.

The following do not qualify for an antique trail listing

Art dealers, defined as primarily engaged in buying and selling fine art and decorative paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, sculptures or other works in the graphic or plastic arts, or decorative or artistic objects.

Consignment shop operator, means a person who is primarily engaged in the business of selling personal property as the agent of another person who has placed such property in the physical possession of the agent when such other person has not been paid for such property.

Flea markets (or swap meets), a type of bazaar that rents space to vendors that offer used goods, low and high quality items at low prices.

The following do not qualify for a property listing

Farmer’s markets and Flea markets: Will be listed under events

Chambers of Commerce: Can be listed under the site’s Resource & Links Page.

Properties open by appointment only.

Art Councils: Can be listed under the site’s Resource & Links Page.

The following may qualify for a listing

Libraries: only if they have a permanent exhibit.

Churches: only if they are historic and provide tours or are architecturally historic and are available to the public.

Organizations requesting to be included on CT Tourism Content Collaborative properties, including CTvisit.com, must comply with all governmental regulation concerning nondiscrimination. Participating organizations are prohibited from discrimination in employment and the provision of services because of race, color, religious creed; age, sex, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, learning disability; physical disability or blindness, present or past history of mental disability, mental retardation, genetic history or criminal record.